Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1887-09-29

y.
down tlercely upon US. The ar IS full
Of dust every body is covered with it.
The march grows painful. ., The cam
teens ARE empty. Thirst, WEAKNESS,
heat, are upon yon ALA once. 4 1t is
the perfection Of misery ip5the soldier s
life.
The ranks are SILENT the laugh and
lest have ceased. These men are suf-
fering bodily torment. They grit their
teeth they clutch their muskets; they
drag themselves along. DO they COM
plain? Yes, in j. mild way else they
would not be soldiers. They mutter to
themselves they grumble J.; but they
keep on. How much nature can bear
without the body fanting and failing,
they have a hundred times found out.
The bugle sounds Il halt it is ten
minutes rest. They sink to the ground
in their tracks, and. make the most of
the brief pause. A man in each COM
pany is loaded wit h dozen cantecns
and dispatched for water. The bngle
sounds again We get up and wearily
resume the march.
have seen men fall with sunstrokcs
at such time. never to rise again.
have seen faithful soldiers tumble IN
thGr tracks, clear spent with weari-
ness. How. can speak of these things
without giving my experience | haye
dragged myself along mile after mile,
with blistered feet, aching limbs, with
such torrents Of thirst is Dives knew
when he looked out of holland have
managed to endure it all, for the sake
Of the example to those under me.
Shall speak of a forced march at
nght-of weary, half.awakened men
stumbling along in the dark, actually
sleeping us the marching goes on: Hun
ger can be borne, fatigue or physical
pain and be endured but if YOU wish
to know what is the most exquisite tor
ment, ask the soldier. He will tell
you that it is deprivation Of sleep. |
! have read how, in some Of the barbar-
Gus countries of the East, the criminal
is tortured simply by keeping him
awake. Many of the veterans can re-
alze what it means.
But "thc long, long, weary day
must end at last. The welcome halt
for the night, sounds. The multitude
of regiments file into the fields. The
arms are stacked, the ACCOMPLISHMENTS
are removed, the bacon and coffee are
cooked again unless we are detailed
for picket, we shall enjoy such luxury
Of rest as only thorouS he'd exhausted
soldier may know. The fires are re-
plenishel, pipes arc it, officers and
soldi rs flaternize around the campfire
Incidents of the march are recountcl
stories are told, song and jest Tighten
the hour. And soon the ground is COW
cred with slumbering forms, wrapped
in their blankets. While the stars
wheel in their silent courses, they
! dream of home, never thinking of the
morrow.
"Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are
marching !" The burden of the old
war-song had a decided smack of truth
And sometimes the truth took u fierce
aspect. Sometimes the rattle OF car
bines broke out at the front ; the staff
came gaIloping along the column bat
teries went dashing up, "Step out
long, men, was the cry. The roar of
battle would swell and strengthen
ahead the smoke would rise over the
trees. "Double.quick, doublequck T.
was shouted and taken up all along the
column, and the old brigade would 80,
with dash and cheer, to its place in
the line. deploy, and take Il strong
hand in the business that was the OBJ.
jective point Of all this marching and
prcparation-thc work Of killing and
getting killed.
w AIRY LAND NEW s.
There were l59 deaths in Baltimore
last week.
B. 4 O. syndicate negotiations are
still in progress.
Some horses were killed for CHAMBERS
near Gaithersbury.
A temperance mass meeting was held
at Calvert, Cecil county.
w. W. Deonard, naval cadet from
Texas, is to be tried for hazing.
Edward B. Coolidge killed his wife
and himself in Calvert county.